NASCAR Driver Profile - Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch has had an illustrious career in NASCAR. He's won 56 races and earned himself two Cup Series championships.

He's now departing Joe Gibbs Racing to drive for Richard Childress Racing - a move no one expected.

How did he get into racing?

Busch spent his early years racing around his family's cul-de-sac in a homemade go-kart with his father Tom and older brother Kurt. Additionally, he worked as an apprentice to both of their garages, learning the fundamentals of racing and mechanics.

As Busch matured, he began working on his own cars. It started as a simple kart but soon transformed into an experienced mechanic and race car crew chief.

His brother Kurt had already achieved great success as a NASCAR driver, and Busch wanted to follow in his footsteps. Rather than joining an amateur team, however, Busch chose to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2003.

After winning his debut race in the NEXTEL Cup series, Busch quickly rose to become a serious contender at NASCAR's top level. In 2004, he earned Rookie of the Year honors after winning five races and earning his first pole at Richmond International Raceway.

He won the Southern 500 at Darlington in 2005, repeated it the following season and added two races at Talladega Superspeedway in 2006. For 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing took over for J. J. Yeley with M&M's replacing Yates Racing as his sponsor.

Busch's first season at Loudon was a success, but his second and third campaigns weren't quite so impressive. In 2011, he finished 31st at Loudon and was eliminated from contention in the Chase for the Championship by an accident on opening weekend of 2012 at Kansas Speedway.

Busch is not only a professional athlete, but an entrepreneur as well. He and his wife Samantha run the Samantha and Kyle Busch Bundle of Joy Fund, which donates funds to families facing infertility.

He is also a partner in Rowdy Energy drink brand founded by Jeff Church in 2020. Additionally, they own Kyle Busch Motors and KBM Trucks as well.

In 2023, Busch joined Richard Childress Racing as a full-time driver in the Cup Series. As his younger brother to former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch and two-time series champion (2015, 2019), Busch earned himself induction into the Richard Childress Racing Hall of Fame and currently resides with his wife and son in Denver, Colorado.

How did he win his first race?

Kyle Busch is renowned for his aggressive driving style and no-holds-barred attitude, making him one of the most successful NASCAR drivers ever. Recently, he broke Richard Petty's record for most wins across all three national series races, making him an incredibly popular figure with fans.

Busch was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and began racing reduced-scale stock cars at age 13; soon he rose to the highest levels of the sport, winning 65 races and two track championships within three years before progressing to late models where he went on to capture the 2001 title with 10 victories in 15 races.

His first career win came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his home track. Though tense throughout the race, he kept his cool when he passed his brother Kurt for the lead. Afterward, they exchanged an intense hug as they celebrated their triumph together.

Next season, Busch made the leap into NASCAR Cup Series competition and competed for Hendrick Motorsports, replacing Terry Labonte. He began his Cup career with a ninth-place finish at Michigan but quickly rose up the rankings to finish fourth overall. Following those four races, he went on to win four more races and make it into the playoffs, where he finished fourth.

Busch had never won at Kansas before, but he'd been to the track many times and was well aware of its challenges. When team owner Richard Childress requested drivers with strong race track backgrounds, Busch began considering a possible return there.

After signing with the team, he began winning more frequently and finished with eight victories in a season for the first time. He topped the points standings and advanced to the Championship 4 before falling short against Martin Truex Jr in the final race.

In 2016, when he won the Cup Championship, it marked a stunning comeback story. Following an injury in an Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway, he returned midseason with a broken leg but would go on to win six more races in the Cup Series series, including a victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

How did he win his first championship?

Kyle Busch is a NASCAR driver who has won two championships. His first came in 2015 when he won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Additionally, Busch has achieved success in other series such as Truck Series and Xfinity Series.

He is commonly referred to as the "Rowdy" guy due to his aggressive style of racing and dealing with the media. Additionally, he co-founded Rowdy Energy - an energy drink brand.

His first career win came in 2005 while driving for Rick Hendrick, earning him the Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year award that season.

Despite his early success, he struggled to win more races. While he did pick up some victories during the 2006 season, he eventually returned to where he had been before joining Nextel Cup series competition.

In 2006, he ran nearly the entire season in a Lowe's/Shop-Vac Chevrolet, winning one race and finishing 7th overall in points. Additionally, he made several appearances in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with top-10 finishes each time.

At Fontana in September of that same year, Hendrick Motorsports selected him to replace Terry Labonte at the wheel of their #5 Kellogg Company/Carquest Auto Parts Chevrolet Monte Carlo. He won pole and led 95 laps in his 31st career start and went on to finish 20th with crew chief Alan Gustafson calling the shots. In Phoenix two months later, however, he had an up-and-down run and finished 20th.

Though he had difficulty maintaining consistency during his second season, he began making strides forward. In July he won a Cup race at Kentucky Speedway, beating out brother Kurt for the victory; then held on to finish fourth at Bojangles' Southern 500 in Darlington the following week to clinch the regular season title.

He then won the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami to claim both the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship and Toyota driver's title.

In his second season, he won both the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and Truck Series title, earning him a place in the NASCAR Playoffs. Over his career, he has amassed more than a dozen victories across both series.

How did he win his second championship?

Busch has earned the reputation as one of NASCAR's most beloved drivers due to his daring driving style and no-holds barred attitude. In addition, he's won 65 races and two track championships during his career - earning him the affectionate nickname "Rowdy".

At age 13 he began his NASCAR career in the Legends Series, racing reduced-scale stock cars. Over time he rose through the ranks until becoming crew chief for brother Kurt's modified car team and eventually moved up to full-sized cars.

His first full-time win came at Daytona in 2001, and since then he has won over 300 races. With this remarkable record of 57 victories across all three national series, he is now the most successful driver in NASCAR history - surpassing Richard Petty's mark by one.

Busch has had a remarkable journey thus far; after an injury-plagued start to his career, he was able to overcome injuries sustained from an Xfinity Series crash and come back strong in 2015 with another Sonoma victory, plus winning the pole at Richmond and finishing runner-up at Martinsville.

In his final race of the year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he earned his second championship victory of an illustrious career by passing three championship competitors including teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. to claim victory and secure a place in history.

Busch's performance at Kansas, where he had an unlucky streak, was his first win of the season and a great achievement after being eliminated from the Chase for the Championship before the playoffs started. After calling it a victory when the race ended, Busch declared it his first triumph of 2018.

In addition to his first Cup victory, Busch also swept the weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway that year with impressive wins in both the Truck and Xfinity races. In the truck race, he led a race-high 90 laps and stretched his fuel reserves, demonstrating that he was capable of succeeding even at one of America's toughest tracks.

Busch was unable to replicate his success during the regular season, yet still managed to climb into the top ten in points despite finishing 34th at Daytona 500 and 37th at Richmond. Additionally, Busch managed to win two doubleheaders at Pocono despite having his transmission broken and racing in 4th gear.